compliments and the good tidings which he had
brought from the Old Country. Arnold listened as if he were hearing
the price of codfish and hams.

The young man was shocked by the coolness of the Commandant. The
former felt as if a pail of icy water had been thrown upon him, when
Arnold answered:

"Now that they have money I hope that they will pay their debt to me."

This kind of talk Jack had not heard before. He resented it but
answered calmly: "A war and an army is a great extravagance for a young
nation that has not yet learned the imperial art of gathering taxes.
Many of us are going unpaid but if we get liberty it will be worth all
it costs."

"That sounds well but there are some of us who are also in need of
justice," Arnold answered as he turned away.

"General, you who have not been dismayed by force will never, I am
sure, surrender to discouragement," said Jack.

The fiery Arnold turned suddenly and lifting his cane in a threatening
manner said in a loud voice:

"Would you reprimand me--you damned upstart?"

"General, you may strike me, if you will, but I can not help saying
that we young men must look to you older ones for a good example."

Very calmly and politely the young man spoke these words. He towered
above the man Arnold in spirit and stature. The latter did not commit
the folly of striking him but with a look of scorn ordered him to leave
the office.

Jack obeyed the order and went at once to call upon his old friend,
Governor Reed. He told the Governor of his falling out with the
Major-General.

"Arnold is a sordid, selfish man and a source of great danger to our
cause," said the Governor. "He is vain and loves display and is living
far beyond his means. To maintain his extravagance he has resorted to
privateering and speculation, and none of it has been successful. He
is deeply involved in debt. It is charged that he has used his
military authority for private gain. He was tried by a court-martial
but escaped with only a reprimand from the Commander-in-Chief. He is
thick with the Tories. He is the type of man who would sell his master
for thirty pieces of silver."

"This is alarming," said Jack.

"My boy an ill wind is blowing on us," the Governor went on. "We have
all too many Arnolds in our midst. Our currency has depreciated until
forty shillings will not buy what one would have bought before the war.
The profit makers are rolling in luxury and the poor army starv